Entertainment News For Today: August 8, 2012

DALLAS (AP) — Randy Travis was charged with driving while intoxicated and threatening law officers after the country singer crashed his car and was found naked and combative at the scene, officials said.

A mug shot released by the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office shows a battered-looking Travis in a gray T-shirt, with a black eye and dried blood on his face. He later walked out of the county jail wearing scrubs, a University of Texas ball cap and no shoes.

It was the second Texas arrest this year for Travis, who was cited in February for public intoxication.

The sheriff’s office in Grayson County, located in far North Texas along the border with Oklahoma, received a 911 call at 11:18 p.m. Tuesday about a man seen lying in a road west of Tioga, where the entertainer lives.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers responding to the scene said a Pontiac Trans Am registered to Travis, 53, had been driven off the road and struck several barricades in a construction road.

Travis was not wearing clothes at the time of his arrest and made threats against the Texas troopers, said Tom Vinger, a DPS spokesman. He said the singer refused sobriety tests, so a blood specimen was taken.

Travis was released on $21,500 bond Wednesday morning from the jail in Sherman, about 60 miles north of Dallas. Blood test results are pending.

Grayson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Rickey Wheeler said Travis faces charges of retaliation or obstruction in addition to driving under the influence.

“Travis had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and several signs of intoxication,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. “While Travis was being transported, Travis made threats to shoot and kill the troopers working the case.”

A Travis representative said there would be no immediate comment on the arrest.

A message left Wednesday afternoon with the Grayson County district attorney’s office was not immediately returned.

In February, Travis was charged with public intoxication after being spotted in a vehicle parked in front of a church in Sanger, about 20 miles from Tioga.

He also has been involved in messy court proceedings with his ex-wife. Travis was divorced from Elizabeth Travis in 2010 after 19 years of marriage.

Earlier this year, Elizabeth Travis, who had been his manager for more than three decades, filed a lawsuit claiming that Randy Travis made it impossible for her to do her job and terminated her management contract without proper notice. She said her ex-husband sent several men, including an armed guard, to clean out her offices.

Randy Travis countersued in May, accusing his ex-wife of divulging confidential information about him in order to damage his reputation and career. The court documents don’t say what information Elizabeth Travis is alleged to have betrayed.

MONKEES ANNOUNCE 1ST TOUR SINCE DAVY JONES’ DEATH

NEW YORK (AP) — The Monkees will perform their first live shows since star Davy Jones died in February.

Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork announced Wednesday that the group will launch a 12-date U.S. tour in November. It’s the band’s first tour since 1997.

Jones died of a heart attack on Feb. 29 at age 66.

The group starred in its own NBC television show in 1966 as a made-for-TV band seeking to capitalize on Beatlemania sweeping the world. Jones rocketed to the top of the music charts with The Monkees, captivating audiences with hits including “Daydream Believer” and “I’m a Believer.”

The tour kicks off Nov. 8 in Escondido, Calif. It wraps on Dec. 2 in New York. It will highlight Jones “in the show’s multimedia content.”

ACTOR HOSKINS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON’S, RETIRING

LONDON (AP) — British actor Bob Hoskins says he is retiring after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

In a statement released Wednesday through his agent, the 69-year-old performer thanked his fans and said he had had a “wonderful career.”

The statement said Hoskins was diagnosed with the degenerative nerve condition last fall.

The London actor – a specialist in tough guys with a tender streak – starred in British classics including “The Long Good Friday” and “Mona Lisa” as well as the Hollywood hit “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

Earlier this year he was seen as one of the seven dwarves in “Snow White & The Huntsman,” starring Kristen Stewart.

DEMOTED POLICEMAN SUES OVER SHEEN ESCORT IN DC

WASHINGTON (AP) — A D.C. police captain who was demoted after actor Charlie Sheen received a police escort to his comedy show has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the department.

Hilton Burton claims he was punished for telling the D.C. Council that police escorts for celebrities were a common practice, putting him at odds with Police Chief Cathy Lanier. The chief said Sheen’s escort last year broke police protocol and that such escorts were generally reserved for government officials.

“To me, it’s all retaliatory because the chief did not like what I said before the city council,” Burton said Wednesday.

Lanier has said the demotion was not connected to the escort or to Burton’s remarks and was instead a reflection of his performance. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sheen’s escort from Dulles International Airport to a concert hall attracted attention when the actor posted about it on Twitter with a photo of flashing emergency lights and a speedometer that appeared to be registering about 80 mph. Police officials at the time said the escort ran afoul of department policies, in part because emergency lights were used in a non-emergency situation and because the escort originated outside city lines. They also said the escort wasn’t given the proper approval.

The escort was provided after one of Sheen’s representatives, concerned the actor would be running late for his performance, contacted police and requested a ride to the concert hall. Two off-duty officers met Sheen at the airport and drove him to the venue. The promoter reimbursed the city for eight hours of overtime, at a cost of $445, police said.

Burton testified two months later that escorts for celebrities were routinely provided and that there was no written rule against them. Other celebrities who have received police escorts in the last few years include Bill Gates, Jay-Z and Washington Wizards star John Wall, according to police records obtained by The Associated Press.

An inspector general’s report concluded that the officers who provided the escort didn’t break department rules. The report faulted the department for failing to establish and follow clear guidelines about the rides.

Burton was later transferred out of the special operations division, which he led, and demoted two ranks from commander to captain. He remains with the police department but is detailed to the fire department, where he’s involved in internal affairs investigation.

Besides seeking at least $6 million punitive and compensatory damages, the suit also seeks for Burton to be reinstated to commander and to his prior position.

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